TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 23

GRS 550

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

Dies

TO DESKBY 03090OZ FCO

TELNO 1774

OF 030728Z DECEMBER 85

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

HRK Olli

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

-

4 DEC 1985

FROM THOMSON

PA

sution Takea

Pacifi

357

€23027/16

-NR.

HONG KONG TELNOS 2694-5 AND YOUR TELNO 1904 TO HONG KONG:

VISIT TO HONG KONG BY STATE COUNCILLOR JI PENGFEN

1. WE HAVE ONE GENERAL COMMENT. WE DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHERE

JI STANDS ON THE QUESTION OF REPRESENATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. BUT IT SEEMS TO US A FAIR ASSUMPTION THAT HE IS AMONG THE MORE CONSERVATIVE AND SUSPICIOUS OF THE CHINESE LEADERS, GIVEN HIS BACKGROUND, AGE, POSITION AND KNOWN VIEW (EMERGING FROM THE FIRST MEETING OF THE BLDC) THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG OVER- EMPHASISE TWO SYSTEMS** AT THE EXPENSE OF ONE COUNTRY'' MOREOVER AS THE CHINESE HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY THINK THE RIGHT PLACE FOR AN INFORMAL DIALOGUE IS PEKING, JI MAY BE RELUC- TANT TO BE DRAWN INTO DISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECT. THE TONE OF THE APPROACH WILL THEREFORE HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY CALIBRATED, OTHERWISE JI MIGHT BE PROVOKED INTO OFFERING AN IMMEDIATE AND UNHELPFUL RESPONSE WHICH, GIVEN HIS SENIORITY, WOULD BECOME SET IN CONCRETE AS A CHINESE POSITION OF PRINCIPLE.

2. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING MORE DETAILED COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT BRIEF

IN SECOND HONG KONG TUR.

(A) WE AGREE WITH ALL YOUR COMMENTS IN TUR (ALTHOUGH ON YOUR

SEE (F) BELOW).

2 (C)

(B) PARAGRAPH 5, SIXTH SENTENCE: WE SUGGEST THIS SHOULD READ: BRITISH RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG, WHICH

UNDER ARTICLE IV OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WILLCONTINUE UNTIL 1997,

HAS BEEN EXERCISED ETC....

(C) PARAGRAPH 6(D): WE SUGGEST WE STICK TO LANGUAGE USED BY WILSON DURING JLG: ''THE BRITISH SIDE RECOGNISES THE IMPORTANCE OF ACHIEVVNG CONVERGENCE BETWEEN IDEAS ABOUT REFORM OF GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE IN HONG KONG BEFORE 1997 AND IDEAS ABOUT GOVERNMENT STRUC- TURE OF THE SAR POST 1997''.

(D) SECOND (SIC) PARAGRAPH 6: WE AGREED IN THE JLG TO ESTABLISH

1

AN INFORMAL DIALOGUE'' AND WE SHOULD STICK TO THAT PHRASE.

"INFORMAL CONTACT MIGHT BE SEEN BY THE CHINESE AS BACKSLIDING.

CONFIDENTIAL

/(E)